Leavenworthy blog roll, part zwei (two)

July 24th, 2013

Last week I posted about favorite travel blogs. This week I’ll focus on Leavenworth blogs and specific posts about Leavenworth.

The Gazebo in springtime

The Gazebo in springtime

Leavenworth blogs and posts:

Melissa at the Inspired Room blog recently visited Abendblume in Leavenworth and posted about her trip with lots of photos.

WildSnow.com blogger Lou visited Leavenworth for some rock climbing and spaetzl and wrote about it here.

Geordie and Allison are realtors in the Leavenworth area. If you’re thinking about relocating or getting a second home in Leavenworth you should subscribe to their blog to get a feel for the Leavenworth realty market.
Geordie also posts about events and activities in Leavenworth. Also follow Geordie on Facebook and Twitter.

Are you looking for a romantic getaway or thinking of getting married in Leavenworth? Pine River Ranch hosts beautiful weddings. Check out their blog to see more. Follow Pine River Ranch on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagabonds, Taras and Amanda, visited Leavenworth on a trip throughout the US. Their post is filled with great photos and reviews from their visit.

Christine in Spain visited Leavenworth in October. She captures the incredible colors of the Cascade autumn in her blog post.

Like beer? The Delicious Beer blog visited Icicle Brewery in 2011 just after its opening. Check out their review here.

I hope these blogs and posts give you a glimpse into Leavenworth, Washington and why the Accidental Bavarians and so many others make it their home-away-from-home.
For more about Leavenworth WA follow me on Twitter, Facebook and follow my Leavenworthy board on Pinterest.

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Leavenworthy blog roll

July 18th, 2013

It’s about time I updated our blog roll of Leavenworthy blogs. The last time I pointed you to some of my favorites was back in 2011. I don’t know about you but a lot has happened around here since then. Blogs come and go but I work hard to keep up with the latest news about Leavenworth, travel in the NW, and places to go and food to eat in my favorite places. Subscribing to travel and community blogs or setting a Google Alert for topics of interest is a good way to stay informed. When you can’t visit you can at least be an arm-chair traveler.

The sights, sounds and tastes of Leavenworth keep us coming back

The sights, sounds and tastes of Leavenworth keep us coming back

I recently started taking part in a weekly twitter chat hosted by Lauren at NWTripFinder. On Thursdays at 11am (PDT) Lauren moderates an online chat on various topics related to travel in the northwest and British Columbia. Through those chats I’ve found some great resources for families who travel. If you want to join us for the next NW Trip Chat on Twitter, search on #NWTripChat. Future chat topics include National Parks, Best County Fairs, Wine Country by Bike, and Road Food.

Now for a blog-roll (extra sauerkraut!)

Captain and Clark

Captain and Clark, Chris and Tawny, are young, fun and hip world travelers from our home town of Spokane. We love reading about there adventures throughout the west and all over the world. They post wild and whacky videos, including this one about Leavenworth. We love their destination videos, travel guides and how-to videos. You can find them on Facebook here. And on Twitter. Follow them on Vimeo for all their latest video log posts. We especially want to send our best wishes on their soon upcoming nuptials. Congratulations Chris and Tawny!

Northwest Travel

Northwest Trip Finder. My new favorite blog about travel in the Northwest. Lauren Braden writes about independent travel in the Northwest. She is passionate about supporting local, sustainable travel. Her blog posts and trip guides cover any and every topic from wine country tours, to fossil hunting. A quick search on her blog for Leavenworth brought up 10 posts mentioning my favorite destination. You can also find Lauren on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Pinterest. Lauren’s site was formerly titled NWCheapSleeps, but she’s broadened her content and is now an important voice for regional travel.

The Washington Trails Association is a voice for hikers, backpackers and backcountry campers for all Washington State. The association protects trails, organizes volunteer work crews, and promotes hiking as a way to maintain a link to nature. On their site you can find hikes, read trip reports, post and share photos and trip reports, and read tips for hiking with kids, get recreation pass information and plan your trip. A search on Leavenworth yielded several posts, hikes and trip reports for the area. Follow WTA on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Family Travel

Cascadia Kids is a blog for families who travel with children. Lora Shinn is an experienced writer and a mom. She’s written pieces on travel for AAA Journey, Whole Living, National Geographic Traveler, Parenting, and the Washington State Visitors’ Guide. Her blog’s purpose is to connect families with the best travel information for the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. She really likes to bring attention to beautiful, quirky and unique travel options. Lora is also the author of Northwest Kid Trips: Portland, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver. Lora has several blog posts about the Leavenworth area. Find Lora on Twitter, and Pinterest.

Parent Map is Seattle based parenting magazine with a fantastic event calendar, and articles about a wide variety of topics including travel, outdoor recreation and seasonal activities. Follow Parent Map on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

For more about family adventures take a look at Michael Lanza’s blog: The Big Outdoors. Michael has many years of global experience in hiking, backpacking and outdoor adventuring. He has written a book, Before They’re Gone, and is a speaker and lecturer. One of his most popular posts is 10 Tips for Raising Outdoors-Loving Kids. His posts include tips for hiking and camping with kids, parks that should be on your family’s must-see list, and equipment reviews. Find Michael on Twitter, and Facebook.

Next week look for part two of this blog roll, where I’ll give you links to local blogs and posts from several bloggers who’ve visited Leavenworth.

In the meanwhile, follow me on Twitter, Facebook and follow my Leavenworthy board on Pinterest.

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Fourth of July 2013

July 1st, 2013
Independence Day Fireworks

Independence Day Fireworks

Will you be in Leavenworth for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend? There’s lots to see and do in the Leavenworth area beginning with Independence Day on Thursday and right on through the weekend. The current heat advisories will expire on Wednesday, bringing in cooler temperatures (lower 90’s instead of 100’s) just in time for great family celebrations. Here’s a sampling of the weekend to come.

July 4:

Kinderfest 2013 on July 4th is an old-fashioned 4th of July party with old-fashioned games, food, and activities for the whole family in downtown Leavenworth WA. A kiddie bike parade at 11am, face painting, arts and crafts, live music at the Gazebo and fun, fun fun! Check the website at the link for more information and a schedule.

Book signing: A Book for All Seasons, Leavenworth’s independent bookseller, is celebrating Kinderfest by welcoming author Bonnie Becker, author of a number of children’s picture books and middle-school novels. Join Bonnie at the bookstore from 1-3pm.

Public Fireworks Displays: While Leavenworth itself doesn’t host a fireworks display (way too close to the Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat’l Forest) there are several displays within easy driving distance.

A great way to see the Wenatchee fireworks show is to book a reservation with Osprey Rafting Company hosts a Fourth of July Float Trip. Their float trip includes a beach BBQ (including smores!), followed by a raft float trip down the Wenatchee River to the Columbia, where you’ll have the very best view of the fireworks display. Seating is limited!

Friday July 5:

Bicultural Fest (Fiesta Bicultural) 1-9pm at Icicle Center for the Arts. A family event featuring nature walks, food and music. There’s also a Naturalization Ceremony. Check out their website for a calendar of events. It’s free and open to the public.

Snowy Owl Theater at Icicle Center for the Arts welcomes Pulitzer nominated author Luis Alberto Urrea, for a presentation and book signing at 7:30pm. His book, Into the Beautiful North, was a recent regional read.

Leavenworth Summer Theater: Sound of Music opens on Friday July 5, at 8pm. For the 19th year in a row, the hills are alive! The Leavenworth Ski Hill Amphitheater is the venue for this perennial, family favorite. Call the box office to purchase tickets. These shows sell out!

Saturday July 6:

Lions Club Community Breakfast All-you-can-eat pancakes, sausages, eggs, milk/coffee. 7-11am in Lions Club Park. The cost is $6 for adults, $3 for kids, 3-10. Under 3 years old is free. Military personnel with ID eat for free! This is a great community event and visitors are more than welcome. This is a twice monthly (and more) fundraising event for Lions Club of Leavenworth. They support projects involving sight, hearing and diabetes health issues, local food banks, high school senior scholarships, Scouts, youth baseball, Special Olympics & other community projects.

Nutcracker Day Open House: The world famous Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum will be open all day, 11am-5pm, with free admission. Learn more about nutcrackers, the art and science of opening nuts, take a crack at opening hazelnuts with a variety of crackers, go on a nutcracker hunt and have your photo taken with Karl, the giant nutcracker.

For live music at various venues around the village, please check our Bands and Live Music page. We add the live music as soon as it becomes available. For more ideas for your trip to Leavenworth, check our Summer Fun, Sports and Recreation and Family Fun pages.

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Celebrating Spring in Leavenworth

March 22nd, 2013
The Gazebo in springtime

The Gazebo in springtime

Woot! Spring is finally here and Leavenworth is the perfect place to celebrate it.

One of the best things about the Wenatchee River Valley is the four distinct seasons. Everyone seems to have their favorite season in Leavenworth, but each really has their own charms, attractions and activities.

Leavenworth in spring is a great setting for a family vacation, a romantic getaway or for your company retreat or meeting. During the months of March, April and most of May, you’ll have a pretty easy time finding a great place to stay. There are hotel specials available throughout the season. Spring is a good time to enjoy the Bavarian-style mountain village without the crowds that you’ll find in the other three seasons.

Springtime

Springtime

Beginning in May you’ll find beautifully bedecked flowering baskets and boxes throughout the village. There’s an escalating competition amongst the business owners and visitors to town reap the benefits as the flowers grow more beautiful with each year.

For the always changing spring weather, dress in light layers. Check out our Weather page and click on the 10-day forecast in the Weather.com link to see if rain gear might be necessary. We usually find the weather in May to be bright and sunny. Keep in mind that Leavenworth is located on the “dry side” of the mountains and is at only 1200′ in elevation so is more temperate than other mountain villages that you might have visited. On the Weather page there are also several live webcam feeds so you can see for yourself what the weather is like in Leavenworth.

Some of our favorite places, festivals and activities in the Leavenworth area in Spring:

April is now the time for Leavenworth’s newest festival A Taste of Spring. It’s a month-long culinary event, kicking off the first weekend in April with a pear-centric food crawl, offering delicious taste of local Leavenworth favorites. Be sure you stop in at Schocolat on Front Street for a delicious hand-made pear-brandy chocolate. It’s one of Mitzi’s favorites. You can get pear balsamic vinegar at the Oil & Vinegar Cellar, too. All month restaurants throughout town will feature pears on the menu and have food and wine pairings to delight your taste buds.

April will have the Leavenworth International Film Festival. From their website, “Showcasing the best recent independent short films with an focus on outdoor recreation.” This is a fantastic way to get in on a new and fun festival right in our own backyard.

Beautiful flowers decorate the village of Leavenworth, Washington

Beautiful flowers enhance the village

Leavenworth Ale-Fest. “Beer tasting with brews from 20 micro breweries, popular Northwest bands, delicious foods” benefiting the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.

Visit an orchard in bloom in the Leavenworth area: The Wenatchee Valley is home to countless fruit orchards. Check out our Fruit and Produce page for links to local farms, produce stands and farm organizations like the Cascade Farmlands Association.

Also coming in May: The Leavenworth Summer Theater box office will open at the end of the month and Leavenworth’s Village Art in the Park will return. Look for the Lions Club Pancake Feeds to return.

In May visit Leavenworth for Maifest and for the Leavenworth Spring Birdfest.

Throughout the spring months you’ll find wine and spirits tastings, community events, classes and activities for all ages. See our Events calendar for more to see and do. Events and activities are added as the information becomes available. A couple of other resources for events and activities are Leavenworth.org and Icicle.tv

For more on springtime in Leavenworth you might also enjoy A Taste of Bavarian Spring.

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The magic of sauerkraut

January 10th, 2013

This is an update of a post that appeared first in October, 2011. Winter is a perfect time to eat sauerkraut, though we haven’t found a season where we don’t require a little bit of sauerkraut to make our Leavenworth visit complete. It seems a good time to take another look at one of our favorite Leavenworth treats: sauerkraut.

From the original post: One of the things we look forward to in Leavenworth is eating sauerkraut. We rarely eat it at home, with the exception of using it to top a hotdog at a local baseball game. But when we get to Leavenworth it only takes one whiff of sauerkraut in the air coming from one of the several restaurants serving German cuisine and we’re planning when we’ll get our first bite. And if you walk by München Haus when you’re hungry? ….Forget about it!

What is sauerkraut?
sau·er·kraut/ˈsou(ə)rˌkrout/
Noun: Chopped cabbage that has been pickled in brine.

“Sauerkraut is a great source of iron, vitamin K and vitamin C, which is another reason it was popular on seafaring vessels. It also helps the good bacteria in your body stay healthy and, in turn, keep you healthy. It is a great food for people taking antibiotics to eat because the medicine kills both good and bad bacteria.” Read more at eHow.

There are many other vegetables that are preserved by a similar process.
Korean kimchi
Japanese tsukemono
Chinese suan cai
Filipino atchara

“Sauerkraut is made by a process of pickling called lacto-fermentation that is analogous to how traditional (not heat-treated) pickled cucumbers and kimchi are made. Fully-cured sauerkraut keeps for several months in an airtight container stored at or below 15 °C (59 °F). Neither refrigeration nor pasteurization is required, although these treatments prolong storage life.” Wikipedia

Some of the 101 ways to eat sauerkraut from the Accidental Bavarian Eat page:

  • On a brat!
  • A little bit with each bit of whatever bit you’re eating
  • With scrambled eggs
  • A sweet sauerkraut with pork roast
  • With a dollop of fancy mustard
  • Mit Deutsch Kartoffelsalat (potato salad)
  • Mixed up with spatzle
  • On a corned beef sandwich
  • On dark Bavarian rye bread
  • Straight from the jar
  • On pizza
  • Twirl vs slurp?
  • On waffles
  • Maybe a sauerkraut milkshake?
  • Under mushroom sauce
  • With onions
  • Under melted Swiss cheese
  • Winekraut and Schweinshax’n

Still unconvinced? Rather than eating sauerkraut plain, try it as part of a sandwich or on a delicious German sausage. One of our favorites, a grilled Reuben sandwich. This classic pastrami sandwich layered with swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on rye bread and served toasty hot, can be found at a number of eateries in Leavenworth. We’ve had very good versions at Ducks and Drakes and The Soup Cellar. At Andreas Keller you can get a Bratwurst Reuben at lunch. A bratwurst is substituted for the pastrami and the delicious house-made Weinkraut is in place of the typical sauerkraut. You can also find sauerkraut on breakfast plates, and on pizzas in Leavenworth.

How do you like your sauerkraut? Have you eaten this classic German side dish in unusual ways?

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